NOW AND FOREVER (ONE SHOT)
by MarBere123
Summary: The loss of his father affects Atem in a way that nobody can understand and that only one person can help. Vaseshipping implied.


**Well... Hi! This is an English version of my one-shot "Ahora y Siempre", but I have to tell you that obviously my native lenguaje is not English. Even if I can understand it, I cannot speak it fluently yet, so if you see some error in the grammar or something like that, I would appreciate if you let me know.** **If you like it, then you're welcome to review. Oh, and if you want more English versions of other fics, you should let me know too. I would be glad to do it!**

**_Disclaimer: I do not own YGO! DUEL MONSTERS. _**

* * *

Why did it have to be this way?

Why did it have to be his father, Pharaoh Aknankanon, of all other people?

Atem knelt beside the bed on which his father rested and took one of his hands in his. He was cold, he could feel life slipping away little by little.

What was he going to do now? Who would he ask questions or ask for advice? Who would lead him as well as only his father could do?

During his funeral, he didn't cry. He didn't allow it. What kind of image would he give to his kingdom if he did?

He should not be weak.

Many people attended the grave. Some were really loyal to Pharaoh, others did it out of respect and some just out of obligation. At that moment, even though he was surrounded by his people, he felt more alone than ever.

"The coronation will be tomorrow," Mahad informed him once they reached his chambers. The low light in the room gave it a more gloomy look than he remembered. "Prince..."

Atem didn't look at him. Mahad had stayed a few steps back.

"Thank you for accompanying me, Mahad," he said. "I'm fine, you can retire."

Mahad was silent for a few seconds.

"I'm sorry for your loss, Prince." another minute of silence. "No ... I'm sorry for your loss, Atem."

This time, the next Pharaoh turned to see him. A small smile crossed his face, it was always a pleasant and happy event when Mahad put aside the formalities and spoke to him equally, as a friend; but, at that moment, Atem couldn't feel the same. Mahad's soul broke when he saw it that way.

"Thank you, you can go, Mahad," he said again and the priest had no choice but to obey.

Mahad left the royal room and, after closing the doors, sighed. There wasn't much he could do there. He knew he wasn't the one.

With a nod, he said goodbye to the guards in front of the doors —leaving a brief indication —and headed for the lower floor of the castle, where his hyperactive student lived.

* * *

Maybe he wanted silence. Maybe he wanted hustle.

He didn't know what he wanted. He had never done it.

He dropped his cape on his mattress and sat on it, resting his head between his hands and his elbows on his knees.

He wanted to cry. Wanted to run away. He felt abandoned, however accompanied he was.

The disease had destroyed his father as when they attacked Kul Elna.

Both Shimon and Isis had warned him about what was going to happen. They had tried to prepare him, telling him and reminding him of his father's bad condition, but he had to be honest, no matter how much one prepared was, there was no way to avoid the pain it caused.

"Prince!" He listened.

The doors of his rooms suddenly opened and he barely had time to react when the arms of his best friend, Mana, surrounded him by the neck, letting him rest his head on her chest.

His eyes widened. He had no problem with her acting so confidently, but he knew that it was not to the total pleasure of the guards, or priests, or whoever worked within the palace.

However, when he directed his gaze to the doors —through the gap between Mana's arm and torso —he was surprised that there was no one in sight. In fact, the doors had been closed even when he knew that Mana didn't care in the least about privacy.

"Mana..." he called her name as he placed his arms on her back. He hadn't realized how much he needed a hug. Only she was able to touch him... Able to treat him as if he were a normal person.

"Sh... It's okay, Prince, you know you're fine with me..." she comforted him, stroking his pointed hair and squeezing him closer to her body. "Atem... with me you can cry."

And it was enough for him to feel the tears fall down his cheeks. The tears he had been holding and hiding for more than a week began to fall as if that was his only chance to do so.

Which was not entirely false.

Many minutes passed, perhaps hours, until Atem stopped sobbing in his friend's arms.

And once silence flooded them, Mana spoke again.

"You know? I've thought of a new joke for Mahad," she said with a smile. "How about turning all his feathers into snakes?"

Atem smiled.

"He would realize before touching them," he said.

"That's why I will first try it on Seto," she added, making the heir of Egypt laugh lightly.

She accompanied him for a few seconds and then the silence ruled again. The smile wiped from Atem's lips and he squeezed Mana tightly while he sucked heavily. Mana didn't lose her smile and instead of feeling uncomfortable, she just closed her eyes and leaned her forehead against her childhood friend's head.

Atem needed her. He needed her more than ever and she knew it.

"Mana ... What will I do?" He asked suddenly.

"I don't know, Prince..."

"Who can tell me? Who knows what a Pharaoh should do? The coronation will be tomorrow, or at the latest in two days ... I don't know if I'm prepared. I do not think I can—"

"You can, Prince," Mana interrupted. "You are only sixteen, but I know there is no one more capable than you. In addition, you have a counselor as Shimon and a friend as Mahad. Seto and Akanadin are also very good despite their bad attitude and Isis can see the future, right? Shada and Karim would never turn their backs on you. You have all of them to help you and also..."

She fell silent and separated from Atem so she could look him straight in the eye. The moonlight that slipped down the balcony and illuminated her face with such delicacy made Atem's heart jump at the sight of her warm smile.

" And also...?" He wanted to know.

Mana pointed to herself.

"And you have me too!" she declared. "Whenever you want to cry, whenever you have doubts or if you just want to talk ... Always, you can _always_ come to me. Not for nothing we are friends."

His heart jumped again and his lips curved into a small smile, it was barely a line, but it was a true smile after all.

"Hey, Mana... What do you think of fate?" He thought out loud.

"Huh... What's that all of a sudden?" She asked, but he just shrugged and, freeing her from the long hug, looked across his balcony from the comfort of his bed.

"Nothing, it's just that I —I think fate is weird, you know?" He commented. "The Gods have taken my father and mother from me, but they blessed me with friends like yours and Mahad's. I —I'm afraid of what they have planned for me..."

She smiled at him. Usually she would have burst out laughing at the seriousness of the strange question and would have lowered the tension of the environment with some harmless joke, but this time she just heard it and was willing to answer with the same seriousness.

Mana took him by the hand and tightened the grip. It would be considered a tremendous boldness, she knew, but they had never cared.

Atem liked that. He liked it much more than he was willing to admit.

"I think fate is cruel," she said, getting Atem to look at her. "I think it's cruel, but I also think it's beautiful and hopeful. Like a lake of an oasis full of crocodiles in the middle of the desert." Atem sweated at the comparison, but continued to listen carefully. "If the Gods give us challenges, we have no choice but to face them... I think that being afraid is useless. Whatever has to happen will happen," she looked at him with a soft smile again. "What you have to go through, you will have to go through and I, and Mahad and all our friends, will be there for you. Always. Even after dying... I hope."

For a few seconds, Mana's image changed in Atem's eyes. For a few seconds, he saw her as the most beautiful and kind woman in the entire world.

For a few seconds, a feeling sprouted in his heart that he had never experienced with anyone before.

And as soon as it appeared, it left. Leaving him with a warmth and tranquility that he didn't expect to feel until many days later.

"I hope so too."

"Now and forever, do you promise?" She lifted her little finger and he smiled sideways raising his as well.

"Only if you do. Do you really want to tie me like that?"

"Do you really want me to tie you like that?"

_It is what I love most, that you are by my side now and forever_.

Mana laughed.

"You said it out loud, you know?"

The face of the next Pharaoh flushed and looked away before Mana crossed his fingers in a promise.

"I also want it."

Atem looked up once more only to find Mana with a slight embarrassed blush on her cheeks.

That day they sealed their destinies in an unexpectedly harmless and innocent way, without thinking that the Gods had already thought about it long ago.


End file.
